Bulletin boards or display panels, which require the use of thumb-tacks, push-pins, magnets, or the like, in order to secure different objects to such bulletin boards or display panels, are of course well-known in the art. In addition, other types of bulletin boards or display panels are likewise known in the art which do not require the use of thumb-tacks, push-pins, magnets, or the like, in order to secure different objects to such bulletin boards or display panels. For example, as disclosed within FIG. 1, which corresponds substantially to FIG. 2 of U.S. Pat. No. 3,952,133 which issued to Amos et al. on Apr. 20, 1976, a pressure-sensitive bulletin board or display board is generally indicated by the reference character 10. The bulletin board or display board 10 is seen to comprise an adhesive layer 12 which is fixedly secured upon the front face of a support member or rigid base 14, and the support member or rigid base 14 is, in turn, adapted to be mounted upon a wall structure by means of hooks 16. As a result of the provision of the adhesive layer 12 upon the rigid base member 14, a plurality of different objects or items, such as, for example, papers 17, a note 18, keys 19, or a pen 20, may be readily secured to the bulletin board or display board 10 without the need for auxiliary mounting implements, such as, for example, thumb-tacks, push-pins, magnets, or the like. While the bulletin board or display board 10 of Amos et al. serves its purpose quite satisfactorily, bulletin boards or display boards exemplified by the Amos et al. bulletin board or display board exhibit a relatively limited or short service life cycle in view of the fact that extraneous dirt, lint, or other particles tend to accumulate upon the adhesive layer 12 of the bulletin board or display board 10 thereby necessitating periodic washing or cleaning of the same.
Another example of a bulletin board or display panel, which likewise does not require the use of auxiliary implements for mounting or securing various objects or items upon such bulletin board or display board, is disclosed within FIG. 2 which corresponds substantially to FIG. 3 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,016,373 which issued to Theno on May 21, 1991. More particularly, it is seen that the display device 10 of Theno is seen to comprise a support surface 11, for temporarily attaching signs or greeting cards 40,41 thereto, wherein the support surface 11 comprises a transparent pressure sensitive adhesive located upon one side of a sheet 16 which is adapted to be unrolled from a stored supply roll. The display device 10 is adapted to be mounted upon a wall structure by means of a string 13 which is suspended upon a nail 24 secured within the wall, the string 13 passing through end caps 19 disposed within a cylinder upon which the sheet 16 is disposed in its rolled supply format. The lower end of the display sheet 16 is secured within a rib member 15 within which a metal rod, not shown, is enveloped within an overlapped portion of the display sheet 16 so as to serve as a weighted member for maintaining the display sheet 16 in its unrolled suspended disposition relative to the supply roll. When the adhesive disposed upon the particular exposed section of the display sheet 16 becomes soiled or otherwise contaminated such that the adhesive no longer exhibits the requisite amount of stickiness or tackiness in order to securely retain the signs or greeting cards 40,41, an additional or fresh section of the display sheet 16 may be unrolled from the sheet supply roll, and the old used section of the display sheet may be severed and discarded.
In a manner similar to that of Amos et al., while the display device 10 of Theno similarly serves its purpose quite satisfactorily, display devices exemplified by the Theno display device likewise encompass undesirable operational disadvantages or drawbacks. In particular, for example, it is quite time consuming to provide the display device 10 with a new or fresh display surface 16 in view of the necessary replacement steps required. More particularly, the rib member 15 must firstly be disengaged from the lower end portion of the display sheet 16, the weighted metal rod must then be removed from the enveloping lower end portion of the display sheet 16, the old or used section of the display sheet 16 must then be severed, the weighted metal rod must then be reinserted within a new overlapping or enveloping portion of the new or fresh section of the display sheet 16, and the lower end portion of the new or fresh section of the display sheet 16, having the weighted metal rod enveloped therein, must then be reinserted within the rib member 15.
Still another type of bulletin board or display device which may be used for supporting relatively lightweight objects or items, such as, for example, notes, business cards, schedules, coupons, or the like, or even relatively heavier objects or items, such as, for example, keys, pens, pencils, or the like, is disclosed within FIG. 3, which substantially corresponds to FIG. 7 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,342,665 which issued to Krawitz on Aug. 30, 1994, and is generally indicated by the reference character 10. More particularly, the bulletin board of Krawitz is seen to comprise a support 11 having a front side or surface 12, and a plurality of adhesive strip assemblies 13 are provided upon the front surface 12 for retaining a plurality of items thereon. As can be appreciated, each one of the adhesive strip assemblies 13 comprises a set of adhesive film members 61-64, each of which has a pull end 80 operatively associated therewith. The adhesive strip assemblies 13 are separated from each other by means of spaces 50-54, and it is seen that the outermost film member 61 of each adhesive strip assembly 13 respectively has a protective tear strip or release sheet 40-45 disposed thereover for protecting the underlying adhesive surfaces until they are desired to be used for the item attachment purposes. As was the case with the bulletin or display boards of Amos et al. and Theno, while the bulletin board 10 of Krawitz is operationally satisfactory, the bulletin board 10 of Krawitz is specifically designed in its strip assembly form so as to intentionally vary the holding or retention power of the bulletin board 10, however, when the individual adhesive strips or film members 61-64 require replacement, it becomes somewhat tedious to necessarily individually replace or refresh all of the individual outermost adhesive film or strip members 61-64 of all of the individual adhesive strip assemblies 13 when, for example, the entire expanse of the front adhesive surface area of the bulletin board 10 is to be replaced such that the entire expanse of the front adhesive surface area of the bulletin board 10 is provided with a fresh adhesive, object-retaining surface.
A need therefore exists in the art for a new and improved bulletin board or display board wherein the adhesive surface, upon which the various objects are to be adhered, may be quickly and readily refreshed when desired so as to effectively maintain a viable or operative adhesive surface upon which various objects can be continuously adhered over a substantially long period of time.